Fury in market towns over £20m ‘snub’ to the rest of Herefordshire

Representatives of Herefordshire’s market towns have reacted with dismay at the news that part of Hereford – but nowhere else in the county – is to benefit from up to £20 million of regeneration funding from the Government.

It says “Hereford south west” and 249 other areas to benefit from the Pride in Place funding, worth up to £5 billion in total over the next ten years, were “selected using a robust metrics-based methodology”, using standard measures of deprivation and need.

Ross-on-Wye councillor Louis Stark said the north of the town is among the 10 per cent most deprived areas of Herefordshire and is in the 25 per cent most deprived in England.

“But leaving aside the methodology, there is no doubt that Ross North would have benefitted tremendously from an injection of regeneration money,” he said.

Ledbury councillor Stef Simmons said it was “intensely frustrating that urban areas of the country now receive 41 per cent more funding per head than rural areas”.

“The Pride in Place money from Government does not help address the discrepancy in funding a rural county like ours faces,” she said.

And for Leominster, Coun Jenny Bartlett said that while funding for the county was “always encouraging”, “it would be better if Herefordshire had discretion over where to invest this much-needed money”.

Ironically the Government says the scheme is “focussed on neighbourhoods of circa 10,000 population” – roughly that of the three market towns.

It now wants “residents, the local MP, councils, businesses and community organisations to produce a clear vision for their area” that will meet the scheme’s social aims.

A spokesperson for Herefordshire Council said it “warmly welcomes” the funding announcement, adding: “Once further details are confirmed, we will work with the community to understand how they would like to see their local area develop and thrive.”

Hereford and South Herefordshire MP Jesse Norman, a prominent supporter of the Stronger Towns Fund which already has funded several recent improvements in the city, said: “I massively welcome this new funding which will build on the very successful Stronger Towns programme.

“This has been a fantastic story for us to tell, and has given us credibility with civil servants.”

But he added: “It’s unclear what is meant by ‘Hereford south west’, which doesn’t correspond to any boundaries or jurisdictions.

“I shall be seeking clarification on this with ministers.”